I'm always on the lookout for Burmese Yun-de lacquer, with finely incised designs hand-done, layer by layer--but this is the first wedding basket I've found. It is comprised of four tiers, each a box or tray, onto which the one above it snugly stacks. Three of the them are removable, as is the lid on the very top, while the bottom tier is attached to the frame, which doubles as a handle, by which the whole thing can be carried. And indeed it would have been--traditionally used in a wedding ceremony, or for transporting food to a temple. Now, it would certainly make a fantastic picnic basket! But also just a beautiful display piece. There is one interior plate that fits neatly inside one of the trays; there may once have been others but no longer.
I'd guess this piece dates to the mid-20th century or so. The imagery, which runs all the way around the perimeters of each tray, features seated Buddhist figures, with finely detailed robes and architecture. There is an incised vine pattern running up the sides of the black handle, and Burmese text incised on the top of the lid.
Assembled, this piece measures 20" tall x 10" wide. The individual trays measure 9" in diameter and 3 3/4" tall. All in very good condition, with only a bit of very minor cracking to the interior lacquer and a tiny bit of wear along the edges of the trays where the stack. Really a beautiful piece!
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